Have you ever looked at the furnace in your Twin Cities area home and wondered how it gained the Energy Star label? (If it doesn’t have the Energy Star, then it’s time to start wondering why not.)
Why is the Energy Star label important? Products that carry the logo from the federal Energy Star program have gained distinction for both efficiency and performance. Products that have the Energy Star logo have to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency. Furnaces in the northern part of the United States are required to have at least an AFUE rating of 95 percent to earn the Energy Star logo.
AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. Having an AFUE rating of 95 percent means that the furnace converts 95 percent of the fuel that it consumes into heat for your home. Only five percent of the fuel escapes to the atmosphere. This improvement in energy efficiency must be verifiable through product testing. Any furnace with 90 percent or abo
ve AFUE is considered high efficiency.
Furnaces that carry the Energy Star label are required to have comparable features and perform as well or better than competitive products on the market, while sporting the greater energy efficiency. Savings in energy costs must be able to make up for any higher cost in the product.
High-efficiency furnaces use several technologies to improve their performance. A second heat exchanger can be used to help extract the heat from the exhaust gases and return the heat to the furnace. A variable speed air handler is also a standard feature in most Energy Star-qualified furnaces. It adjusts its speed to the conditions in your home, usually running at a slower, more continuous level, saving energy and providing more even heating.
For more expert information about furnaces with the Energy Star label and other home comfort related questions, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We have been proudly serving the Twin Cities area for more than 35 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy star and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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